Access hood for calculating machine



June 1, 1965 R. 1.. SCHULTZ ACCESS HOOD FOR CALCULATING MACHINE Original Filed Aug. 4, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet l June 1, 1965 R. L. SCHULTZ f 3,186,635

ACCESS HOOD FOR CALCULATING MACHINE Original Filed Aug. 4. 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 1, 1965 R. SCHULTZ 3,186,635

ACCESS HOOD FOR CALCULATING MACHINE Original Filed Aug. 4, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 an w/w "@Q at: Melba/7 United States Patent 3,186,635 ACCESS H091) FOR CALCULATENG MAGHHNE Ralph L. Schultz, Chicago, 1th, assignor to Victor Comptometer Corporation, Chicago, ilk, a corporation of Illinois Original application Aug. 4, 1960, Ser. No. 47,491.

Divided and this appiication Nov. 14, 3963, den.

6 Claims. (til. 235-1) The present invention relates generally to calculating machines, and more particularly to improvements in an access hood for such machines and a mechanism for preventing operation of the machine while the hood is open.

The application is a division of copending application Serial No. 47,491, now abandoned, filed August 4, 1960.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved access hood for calculating machines and a mechanism operated thereby to prevent operation of the machine while the hood is open.

A further object is to provide an improved access hood for calculating machines which is so mounted that it has a compound movement from closed to open positions to provide the largest possible access opening.

A further object is to provide an improved access hood and a mechanism operated thereby when the hood is in open position to prevent operation of the machine, which mechanism may be manually immobilized with the hood open to permit operation of the machine for service and the like.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying-drawings, wherein FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing the mechanism mounted on the right-hand side of the right frame plate, with the access hood closed and the machine conditioned for operation;

FIG. 2 is a View similar to FIG. 1, showing the access hood in fully open position and the machine elements positioned to prevent cycling of the machine; and

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the control keys and the linkages for operating the motor control switch.

The present invention is an improvement upon the calculating machine shown in the prior patent to Lippert et al., No. 2,731,206, issued January 17, 1956, and reference may be had to this patent for the more general features of construction of the machine.

The machine comprises a more or less conventional numeral keyboard and includes the following function control keys: a combination subtotal and add key 2d, a combination total and add key 22., a subtract key 24, and a nonadd key 26, a correction key, and a repeat key (not shown).

The mechanism is housed in a customary casing including a bottom 32, a keyboard plate 34, a lower housing 36, and a hood 38. The machine includes a driving electric motor 40 which is energized upon closure of a switch 42 which is secured to an arm 43 by a screw 35, allowing for adjustment of the position of the switch 42 relative to an insulating disc 46 secured to a switch actuating arm 48. The arm 43 is pivoted about a stud 44- and is normally held by a spring in engagement with a locating stud 52.

It is usually undesirable to permit an operation of the machine while the hood 38 is raised, and this invention is in part concerned with an improved means to prevent operation at such time. The hood 38 is mounted so that its initial movement is upward and subsequently is pivoted rearwardly. This is accomplished by engagement of a friction roller 54 in a slot 56 formed in a bracket 58. (This hood mounting mechanism, as shown in FIG. 1,

Patented June 1, 1955 ice is duplicated at the left-hand side of the machine.) The friction roller 54 comprises a pair of spring pressed washers carried by a stud 57 mounted on a bracket 59 which is secured to the hood 3%. The washers create suificient friction to hold the hood $3 to any intermediate position to which it may be adjusted.

The bracket 58 is screwed to lugs 6% and 62 forming part of the bottom housing casting 36. The hood 38 is pivotally connected at 64 to an arm 66 which in turn is pivoted at 68 to the brac.:et 58. Due to the shape of the slot 56 it will be apparent that an initial upwardly directed force on the hood will cause its rollers 54 to ride upwardly in the lower vertical portion of the slot 56, pivoting'link as counterclockwise and which through the pivot 64 will tend to cause the hood to have a component of upward motion, so that the hood will clear the roll of paper tape iii and an inked ribbon assembly 71 and other parts of the machine, and will not bind against the adjacent portion of the housing casting 36. Continued application of an upwardly directed force at the forward end of the hood 33 will cause the hood to pivot about the stud 64-,at which time the roller 54 will ride in the upper arcuate portion of the slot, which will then be concentric with the stud 6d.

The link 66 at the right-hand side of the machine has a shouldered stud 7'2 projecting sidewardly therefrom, this stud being adapted to engage in a notch 74 forming part of an L-shaped slot 76 at the upper end of a link '78, and be retained in the slot by a conventional washer assembly 7?. As the link 6% swings counterclockwise, incidental to the initial upward movement of the hood 38, its stud 72 engages in the notch '74, raising the link 78. The link 73 is pulled upwardly against a spring 30 and the lower end of the link 78 is pivoted to the arm 43 so that as the link is raised the switch 42 is swung counterclockwise about the pivot ii so as to be beyond the path of movement of the insulating washer 4-5. Thus, operation of any of the control keys will be ineffective to initiate a machine cycle. However, a serviceman may occasionally desire to cause a machine cycle while the hood is raised, and for this purpose he may disengage the notch 74 from the stud 72 and permit the spring 80 to snap the link 78 downwardly as the elongated portion of the notch '76 passes around the stud '72, in which event the switch 42 will be returned to its normal position in condition to be operated by the control keys.

As previously indicated, the motor switch 4-2 is closed when a bell crank 48 is swung clockwise to bring its insulating disc as in engagement with the switch contact arm to flex the latter into engagement with its counterpart. This bell crank 4% is pivoted on a shaft 82 and has an open end notch in which a shouldered stud 85 is engageable, this stud being carried by a crank 38 pivoted on a stud 9% which is mounted on the righthand frame plate 92. A motor trip slide 94 is provided with an elongated slot 9 6 which embraces the stud 9%. The motor trip slide 94 has a downwardly extending portion 98 which has an open end slot embracing a stud Ildtl secured to the arm 83. The motor trip slide 94 is guided for longitudinal movement upon a pair of rollers 1S2, 1&3, which extend through suitable elongated slots in the slide. Each of the stems of the control keys 2t), 22, 24, and as is provided with a sidewardly extending stud 194. These studs are cooperable with oblique cam surfaces res formed on the slide 94, so that upon depression of any of these control keys the slide 94 will be moved rearwardly and due to the engagement of the forked lower end of the slide d4 with the stud 1%, will swing the arm counterclockwise, and through the stud S6 and open end slot 34 swing the bell crank 48 clockwise to close the switch 42.

o cl) A suitable latch arrangement, shown in application Serial No. 47,491, is provided to retain the actuated control key in depressed condition, the slide 94- in its rightward position, and the switch closed during a complete cycle of the machine. At the end of the cycle the depressed control key is released and restored to normal position by a conventional spring and the slide 94- is similarly restored to the FIG. 3 position to pivot the bell crank 48 in the counterclockwise direction and open the motor switch 42.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent that numerous variations and modifications thereof may be made without departing from the underlying principles of the invention. I therefore desire, by the following claims, to include within the scope of the invention all such variations and modifications by which substantially the results of my invention may be obtained through the use of substantially the same or equivalent means.

I claim:

ll. In an electric calculating machine having a hood which may be raised for purposes of inspection, maintenance, and replacement of the ink ribbon, a guide mechanism for the hood comprising a pair of spaced vertical plates each having a guide slot which is generally vertical at its lower end and arcuate at its upper end in generally concentric relation with an axis rearwardly thereof, a pair of arms depending from the hood each having a stud received in one of the slots, a pair of links each pivotally supported by one of the plates, and a pair of pins pivotally connecting the links to the arms roarwardly of the slots, the studs and the vertical portions of the slots causing links to pivot about their supports on the plates upon initial upwardly directed force on the hood to move the rear portion of the hood upwardly and rearwardly and to move the pins into coaxial relationship with said axis, the studs and arcuate portions of the slots causing the links to pivot about the pins for pivotal movement of the hood.

2. in an electric calculating machine having a hood which may be raised for purposes of inspection, maintenance, and replacement of the ink ribbon, an electric motor, a motor switch, and control keys for closing the motor switch, a guide and safety mechanism for the hood comprising a pair of spaced vertical plates each having a guide slot which is generally vertical at its lower end and arcuate at its upper end in generally concentric relation with an axis rearwardly thereof, a pair of arms depending from the hood each having a stud received in one of the slots, a pair of links each pivotally supported by one of the plates, a pair of pins pivotally connecting the links to the arms rearwardly of the slots, the studs and the vertical portions of the slots causing links to pivot about their supports on the plates upon initial upwardly directed force on the hood to move the rear portion of the hood upwardly and rearwardly and to move the pins into coaxial relationship with said axis, the studs and arcuate portions of the slots causing the links to pivot about the pins for pivotal movement of the hood, and a linkage connected between one of the pair of links and the motor switch to render the latter inoperative when the hood is in raised position to prevent cycling of the machine by a control key.

3. In an electric calculating machine having a hood which may be raised for purposes of inspection, maintenance, and replacement of the ink ribbon, an electric motor, a motor switch, and control keys and linkage operated thereby for closing the motor switch, a guide and safety mechanism for the hood comprising a pair of spaced vertical plates each having a guide slot which is generally vertical at its lower end and arcuate at its upper end in generally concentric relation with an axis rearwardly thereof, a pair of arms depending from the hood each having a stud received in one of the slots, a pair of links each pivotally supported by one of the plates,

a pair of pins pivotally connecting the links to the arms rearwardly of the slots, the studs and the vertical portions of the slots causing links to pivot about their supports on the plates upon initial upwardly directed force on the hood to move the rear portion of the hood upwardly and rearwardly and to move the pins into coaxial relationship with said axis, the studs and arcuate portions of the slots causin the links to pivot about the pins for pivotal movement of the hood, means pivotally mounting the motor switch for movement out of position to be closed by the control key linkage, and a third link interconnecting one of the pair of links and the switch to pivot the latter out of switch closing position when the hood is in raised position to prevent cycling of the machine by a control key.

in an electric calculating machine having a hood which may be raised for purposes of inspection, maintenance, and replacement of the ink ribbon, an electric motor, a motor switch, and control keys and linkage operated thereby for closing the motor switch, a guide and safety mechanism for the hood comprising a pair of spaced vertical plates each having a guide slot which is generally vertical at its lower end and arcuate at its upper end in generally concentric relation with an axis rearwardly thereof, a pair of arms depending from the hood each having a stud deceived in one of the slots, a pair of links each pivotally supported by one of the plates, a pair of pins pivotally connecting the links to the arms rearwardly of the slots, the studs and the vertical portions of the slots causing links to pivot about their supports on the plates upon initial upwardly directed force on the hood to move the rear portion of the hood upwardly and rearwardly and to move the pins into coaxial relationship with said axis, the studs and arcuate portions of the slots causing the links to pivot about the pins for pivotal movement of the hood, means pivotally mounting the motor switch for movement out of position to be closed by the control linkage, and a third link connected to the motor switch mounting means and to one of the pair of links to pivot the switch out of switch closing position when the hood is in raised position to prevent cycling of the machine by a control key, the connection between the third link and one of the pair of links including a third pin carried by the latter and a hooked slot having an elongated portion into which the third pin may be manually directed to restore the switch to switch closing position.

5. In an electric calculating machine having a hood which may be raised for purposes of inspection, maintenance, and replacement of the ink ribbon, an electric motor, a motor switch, and control keys and linkage operated thereby for closing the motor switch, a guide and safety mechanism for the hood comprising a pair of spaced vertical plates each having a guide slot which is generall vertical at its lower end and arcuate at its upper end in generally concentric relation with an axis rearwardly thereof, a pair of arms depending from the hood each having a stud received in one of the slots, a pair of links each pivotally supported by one of the plates, a pair of pins pivotally connecting the links to the arms rearwardly of the slots, the studs and the vertical portions of the slots causing links to pivot about their supports on the plate upon initial upwardly directed force on the hood to move the rear portion of the hood upwardly and rearwardly and to move the pins into coaxial relationship with said axis, the studs and arcuate portions of the slots causing the links to pivot about the pins for pivotal movement of the hood, means pivotally mounting the rotor switch between first and switch closing position and second and inoperative position, and a third link interconnecting one of the pair of links and the motor switch mounting means to pivot the switch to the second position when the hood is in raised position to prevent cycling of the machine.

6. In an electric calculating machine having a hood which may be raised for purposes of inspection, maintenance, and replacement of the ink ribbon, an electric motor and a motor switch, a guide and safety mechanism of arms depending from the hood each having a stud received in one of the slots, a pair of links each pivotally supported by one of the plates, a pair of pins pivotally connecting the links to the arms rearwardly of the slots, the studs and the vertical portions of the slots causing links to pivot about their supports on the plates upon initial upwardly directed force on the hood to move the rear portion of the hood upwardly and reawvardly and to move the pins into coaxial relation with said axis, the studs and arcuate portions of the slots causing the links to pivot about the pins for pivotal movement of the hood upon subsequent upwardly directed force on the hood, a

pivotal arm supporting the switch and biased to a switch operating position, a third link pivotally connected to the switch support arm and biased toward a switch operating position, the third link having a longitudinal slot with an ofiset notch, and a manually accessible stud carried by one of the first mentioned links received in the longitudinal slot and moved into the notch upon initial movement of the hood to move the third link to a position pivoting the switch to an inoperative position, whereby a repairman may disengage the latter stud from the notch for movement into the longitudinal slot to permit pivotal movement of the switch to an operating position by the biased support arm and third link.

No references cited.

LEO SMILOW, Primary Examiner. 

2. IN AN ELECTRICAL CALCULATING MACHINE HAVING A HOOD WHICH MAY BE RAISED FOR PURPOSES OF INSPECTION, MAINTETANCE, AND REPLACEMENT OF THE INK RIBBON, AN ELECTRIC MOTOR, A MOTOR SWITCH, AND CONTROL KEYS FOR CLOSING THE MOTOR SWITCH, A GUIDE AND SAFETY MECHANISM FOR THE HOOD COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPACED VERTICAL PLATES EACH HAVING A GUIDE SLOT WHICH IS GENERALLY VERTICAL AT ITS LOWER END AND ARCUATE AT ITS UPPER END IN GENERALLY CONCENTRIC RELATION WITH AN AXIS REARWARDLY THEREOF, A PAIR OF ARMS DEPENDING FROM THE HOOD EACH HAVING A STUD RECEIVED IN ONE OF THE SLOTS, A PAIR OF LINKS EACH PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED BY ONE OF SAID PLATES, A PAIR OF PINS PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED THE LINKS TO THE ARMS REARWARDLY OF THE SLOTS, THE STUDS AND THE VERTICAL PORTIONS OF THE SLOTS CAUSING LINKS TO PIVOT ABOUT THEIR SUPPORTS ON THE PLATES UPON INITIAL UPWARDLY DIRECTED FORCE ON THE HOOD TO MOVE THE REAR PORTION OF THE HOOD UPWARDLY AND REARWARDLY AND TO MOVE THE PINS INTO COAXIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID AXIS, THE STUDS AND ARCUATE PORTIONS OF THE SLOTS CAUSING THE LINKS TO PIVOT ABOUT THE PINS FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF THE HOOD, AND A LINKAGE CONNECTED BETWEEN ONE OF THE PAIR OF LINKS AND THE MOTOR SWITCH TO RENDER THE LATTER INOPERATIVE WHEN THE HOOD IS IN RAISED POSITION TO PREVENT CYCLING OF THE MACHINE BY A CONTROL KEY. 